We are closed on Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, News Year's Eve, and New Year's Day

Living History Programming takes place between May 1st and October 31st with additional special events throughout the year. Grounds are open year-round 8:30 am until dusk

Welcome to 1840s Rural Illinois

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, preserves the 19th-century home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and step-mother of our 16th president. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer living in Springfield by the time his parents moved here, but his burgeoning law practice often brought him to Charleston and the farm, especially during the 1840s. Abraham Lincoln also owned a portion of the farm which he deeded back to his father and step-mother for their use during their lifetime.

Today Lincoln Log Cabin is an 86-acre historic site that is owned and operated by the State of Illinois, managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Sites. The site includes an accurate reproduction of the Lincolns’ two-room cabin that was reconstructed on the original cabin site in 1935-1936 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project. The National Park Service oversaw the creation of Lincoln Log Cabin State Park with CCC labor. The CCC camp, Camp Shiloh, was located within the park’s boundaries and its enrollees were WWI veterans. Today the ten acres in the northwest corner of the park where Camp Shiloh was located is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A working, living history farm has been developed around the cabin, and a second historic farmstead, that of Stephen and Nancy Sargent, has been moved to the site to help broaden visitors’ understanding both of life in the 19th century and Lincoln’s legal practice in the community. The site also includes the Moore Home, where Lincoln bid farewell to his family in 1861 before leaving to assume the Presidency, and the gravesites of Thomas and Sarah Lincoln at the Thomas Lincoln Cemetery.

Upcoming Events!

Saturday, May 26, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Exploring Wool: What will "Ewe" Make Today?
Spring means sheep-shearing at the Lincoln farm and is a great time to explore what can be done with the wool our sheep provide. We will be offering hands-on opportunities to learn knitting, weaving, or for a small project fee, you can participate in a needle felting workshop and make your own three-dimensional needle felted primrose in a pot.
Knitting for beginners will be taught throughout the day on the Lincoln farm where we will provide the minimal basic tools and supplies, then teach the basics of knitting. If you don’t know whether this craft is suited for you, it’s a great opportunity to try it out and have a set of needles and yarn to take home with you to complete a simple project.
Weaving is another craft that’s rapidly disappearing with fewer opportunities for folks to try this unique heritage craft. To help remedy this we will have a variety of looms from antique barn frame looms to modern looms, all set up under the portico of the Visitor Center ready for you to sit down and learn the process of weaving.
Fiber artist Joellen Cobb will be teaching the needle felting workshop in the Visitor Center beginning at 1:00 pm where participants will learn how to make a potted primrose from wool. The cost for this workshop is $35/person and includes all materials. Space is limited; pre-registration required. Register online here: https://form.jotform.com/81366462356158

Enduring Legacy: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Coles County, 1935-1941This temporary exhibit celebrated the 75th anniversary of Lincoln Log Cabin and was on display in 2011 and 2012. Access the story here

Give a Gift!How You Can Help
Please consider making a donation to help support the efforts of the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation in maintaining vital education programming, producing special events, and meeting the needs of Lincoln Log Cabin to continue the preservation of our rural heritage. Click here to download a form for mailing or donate online with your personal credit card:
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